Hello! It’s been a busy summer with travel for many things, but I should be home for a while now! I hope you have all enjoyed or are looking forward to a time of refreshing as I have had recently.
Our scripture this morning is Malachi 4:6 (NASB).
He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.
Malachi is often considered the “last” prophet in the Old Testament. The Book of Malachi is the last Old Testament book in most Christian bibles and also the final prophet in that section of Jewish scripture. After this there was 400 years of “silence”, when God did not speak to His people through prophets. Later, God raised up John the Baptist as the herald of Christ and the final prophet of His salvation.
There is a depth of meaning in Malachi’s words here. He speaks of restoring hearts between fathers and children, and while this points to personal relationships, it also refers to restoring their connection to God the Father by returning to the faith of their earthly fathers.
There is an explicit warning here as well. Our sin puts us on the wrong side of God’s justice, and we can’t save ourselves. Without the gift of Jesus we are lost. However, God’s love and mercy are there in our Savior, and when we put our trust in Him, we are safe.
Gracious God, we are ashamed of our willful selfishness and lack of care for each other. Forgive us and strengthen us in faith, that we may be the face of Your love to everyone. Amen.
